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SALF-gate? 49,000 questions for Education Secretary Arne Duncan

The Cincinnati Beacon is the latest paper to pay tribute to Jerry Bracey--and reprint his last column, with full comment on the column and tribute to Bracey. As this writer notes, the alternate press--from left to right--has published Gerald Bracey's last column, "The Skeleton in Arne Duncan's Closet."

The corporate press remains silent on the matter--and in Arne Duncan's pocket.

Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati

"One of the most erudite, prolific and acidic critics of national education policy." That's how the Washington Post memorialized Gerald Bracey shortly after his death in late October. One of his regular targets was President Obama's basketball buddy, US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. In an eerie parting shot from waaaay off-court, Bracey just slam-dunked Duncan.

At the time of his death. Bracey was about to publish an article about the Save-A-Life Foundation's (SALF) relationship with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) when Duncan was in charge. "The Skeleton in Arne Duncan’s Closet" was supposed to appear on Halloween in Bracey’s Huffington Post column, but the HuffPost couldn't get their act together. Picking up the ball, some of Bracey's colleagues co-published it on their blogs a couple weeks ago. Since then, the story's been turning up around the 'net from OpenLeft to The Free Republic. That's about as wide a political point spread as it gets and Bracey's tale from the crypt -- literally - certainly has something for everyone.

According to Bracey, here's the loudest rattle coming from Duncan's dungeon. Between 2004-06, Duncan's office directly signed off on $49,000 for SALF to provide first-aid training classes in the Chicago Schools. Trouble is, when it comes to records proving that the training ever happened, CPS seems to have slightly more than zilch.

Per Bracey, it's tough for Duncan to claim he was out of the loop:



During his years as CPS big dog, Arne Duncan was apparently close to (SALF president Carol) Spizzirri. He was a featured speaker at a 2003 SALF conference and a 2006 press statement has him receiving a SALF "Sponsorship Award" from Spizzirri, his second such prize. Duncan is quoted saying, "Carol is one of my heroes. I really appreciate the partnership." Duncan even appeared as an animated pitchman on SALF's website, cheerily hyping kids on the program: "Hi, friend, I'm Arne Duncan…Ask your school teacher today if the 'SALF-Town’ heroes can visit you!"




Bracey was picking up the trail ABC7 I-Team reporter Chuck Goudie began clearing three years ago. . . .

For the rest of this tale, with documentation, go to the hotlink below.



— The Dean of Cincinnati
Cincinnati Beacon
2009-12-17
http://www.cincinnatibeacon.com/index.php?/contents/comments/salf-gate_49000_questions_for_education_secretary_arne_duncan/

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INDEX OF GERALD BRACEY TRIBUTES

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